EU says TikTok encourages compulsive use, orders review of app design

TikTok’s addictive feature violates the European Union’s digital rules, the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, has concluded. Features such as infinite scrolling, auto-play videos, push notifications, and hyper-personalized recommendations make the app highly addictive. This comes a week after the newly elected D66–CDA–VVD coalition announced plans for a European minimum age of 15 for social media, effectively banning children under 15 from using such platforms.

The European Commission also found that the Chinese social media giant did not sufficiently assess the impact of these addictive features on users' physical and mental health, particularly among minors and vulnerable adults.

This decision will not immediately lead to a fine from the Commission. TikTok will first have the opportunity to present a defense. If its defense is deemed inadequate, the Commission could impose a penalty of up to six percent of the app’s total global annual revenue.

The design of TikTok encourages continuous scrolling, partly by “rewarding” users with fresh content. “Scientific research shows that this can lead to compulsive behavior and reduced self-control among users,” the commission notes. TikTok has also overlooked signs of compulsive use, such as minors accessing the app at night and the overall time users spend on it.

Furthermore, the measures TikTok claims to have implemented have little effect, according to the Commission. Screen-time tools fail to reduce usage because they are easily bypassed, and parental controls are too complicated. To tackle the app’s addictive design, the Commission concludes that TikTok must alter its core structure.

A separate probe into TikTok is ongoing, focusing on whether the app’s video recommendations might expose minors to age-inappropriate content. The investigation is also assessing whether the Chinese app adheres to the EU’s general regulations on children’s privacy and safety.

TikTok reached a settlement last week in the United States in a separate case concerning social media addiction.

A TikTok spokesperson stated that the app will contest the European Commission’s findings “by all possible means.” The social media company added that the European Commission's conclusions “misrepresent our platform and are unfounded. We strongly disagree and will contest these findings by all available means.”